1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to miniature tools and, in particular, to pocket driver tools for storing and providing both a holder for drivers and a handle for operating the drivers, and to such pocket driver tools having illuminating devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,757 (Nalbandian et al., 1981), U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,249 (Shiao, 1996), U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,308 (Lin, 1998) and D592,930 (Cai, 2009) all disclose illuminated screw drivers. A number of screw driver tools are known incorporating storage compartments for the drivers, but where the socket is not on the longitudinal axis of the tool. Tools are known having storage compartments where drivers or other components are stored in the tool, but where the drivers or other components are not transverse to and are disposed on the longitudinal axis of the tool, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,249 (Shiao, 1996), U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,641 (Sung et al., 1999), U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,858 (Chiu, 2001), U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,034 (Chen, 2002), U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,675 (Chuang, 2003), U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,483 (Liu, 2006), U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 385,172 (Bramsiepe et al., 1997), and U.S. Patent Publications Nos. 2008/0083304 (Finn) and 2011/0226098 (Zhang). U.S. Pat. No. 1,309,281 (Forbes, 1919) discloses a tool whose handle is also a tool kit. Other disclosures of driver tools for holding more than one driver can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,260 (Huang, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,150 (Huang, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,306 (Huang, 1999), U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,606 (Huang, 1999), U.S. Publication Nos. 2007/0251355 (Kao, 2007) and 2008/0041746 (Hsiao), and U.S. Design Pat. Des. 385,172 (Bramsiepe et al., 1997), Des. 400,775 (Hsu, 1998), D580,655 (Kao, 2008) and D592,930 (Cai, 2009). Included in the foregoing are disclosures of such driver tools for holding a plurality of drivers that also have work-place illumination devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,249 (Shiao, 1996) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,308 (Lin, 1998). An illuminated screwdriver is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,757 (Nalbandian et al., 1981). The assignee of the present application has on the market a product called “XDrive Compact Driver Tool” wherein drivers are stored in the tool and extend in directions that are parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tool.